Wheel rims intended to accept a tyre and comprising two flanges one of which is removable are already known. This type of rim comprises an external portion with symmetry of revolution bearing a first flange formed as an integral part of the rim and a removable second flange which is attached to the external portion and held in position by a ring immobilized by a wedge. The layout of this type of rim allows a tyre to be fitted by slipping this tyre around the external portion and then mounting the removable flange on the rim so as to trap the two beads of the tyre between the flanges of the rim. The structure of the rim thus allows the tyre to be fitted and removed while the rim is fixed to an axle, such as an aircraft landing gear axle.
It has been identified that there is a risk of the removable flange rotating relative to the rest of the rim, which may cause damage to the interface between the two elements, leading to loss of performance. In order to reduce this risk, document FR2976216 proposes the use of a particular ring able to develop radial force preventing the removable flange from rotating. It has also been proposed for the flange and the rest of the rim to be made to collaborate on a non-circular bearing surface, thus preventing the removable flange from rotating. It has also been proposed, in document FR2966078 for the removable flange to be provided with teeth, angular immobilization being obtained by inserting a wedge in the space between two teeth.
These forms of angular immobilization, aside from being limited in terms of mechanical strength, are expensive to produce and difficult for an operator to check.